I will be at U of C Tues afternoon and plan to be out Friday so they can monitor my liver and kidney function during chemotherapy. The average stay is 4 days every 3 weeks for 4 sessions to start. Could go up to 8 sessions. Maybe less depending on progress. Not the route I wanted to go but if you read the blog you will see that God has used us among the staff at U of C. That is really exciting when the physicians, one admitting she is not “religious”, ask about our faith. We pray God uses us where he puts us – of course I must admit I would prefer a tropical paradise and not a hospital. I have a discussion with myself knowing I want to be where God puts me/us because that is the best vs. where I want to go which is far away from having cancer. Sounds like a Jonah challenge, doesn’t it. Or Job, or Paul, Joseph and many in the Bible.
Trish just finished a study about Jonah that talks about Jonah where the speaker calls them not Life Interruption’s but Divine Intervention. Priscilla Sheer was the teacher (video). After all what is our purpose in life? I believe it is the highest calling to be used by God to share his love to others and give them hope. The hospital is a great place for physical healing but a parched place for faith.
As I go in and have the lump in my “abs of steel” examined, the physicians ask me multiple questions under the heading “Do you feel ok?”. When I tell them I feel fine they ask a few more questions. My take on the underlying premise is “you should be sicker”. I tell them that I have people praying for me around the world – which by the way still overwhelms me. They don’t know what to do with that necessarily – not yet – but they have to wrestle with the comment. As I ask people to pray for me I also ask them to pray for those who treat me that they would be challenged in their relationship to God and find hope through Jesus. There are different analogies that I can think of but one is that as a Christ follower I am like a faith marrow transplant, injected into the medical system to offer life and hope to those who don’t know they are sick from the curse of sin. Only Jesus can cure what ails you. Maybe my being there helps them to realize their illness and the need for “the Cure”.
Again, I tend to be like Jonah in the Bible, and may think “Why does it have to be me? Isn’t there someone else who can do this instead of me” as I am really thinking “I want to avoid this”. Of course I know God knows what I am really thinking. We all realize in this situation it isn’t me thinking about how I can advise God and help Him find a better option, that “Really God, there is someone else better equipped to do this” (think Moses). It is me thinking “How can I avoid this?” Just being honest. Yet I must embrace and trust where God has led me and make the most of the opportunity each day, appreciating that God chose me to be his instrument, as He must think that I am uniquely equipped and positioned. The argument on each side ebbs and flows. The human will vs. the divine purpose.
As a Christ follower, we are each uniquely equipped and positioned by the power of the Holy Spirit. Each day I believe God determines our path and each interaction with people is a divine appointment. Again, I often forget this in the day to day of life and that each of us admit the same flaw. That is also why I am glad God covers our weakness and mess ups. Thanks to you for your kind support and encouragement of my family. We are only promised today – and even then not all of it – and greater yet is that we are promised eternity with God. What other hope is there?
Trusting God,
Neal
We are trusting our Lord with you Neal. God is good all the time…All the time God is good.
Love and prayers for both you and Trish,
Dawn and Steve McCreery
Dear Neal and Trish
Hmmm, well the small things matter, too; we wish you good travel, good food, a good view from a window, some people around you with something interesting to say or funny lines, warm sheets or blankets, quiet and peace when you need it, and then, big things of course, the best medical staff–they are the lucky ones, they have you–the best patient!
WE are the ones who are getting encouragement from you, by your words, your dedication to using all of this for spreading knowledge of God, His gifts to us, His Promises, and His work. We are encouraged to also continually use our lives and our opportunities that God gives us. We have learned a lot from you two over the years–even though we are twice your age–Welllll, not quite twice. 🙂
Think of all of us thinking of you as you go through these next four days. You are soooo often in our prayers; always in the mornings, and then whenever we think of you. You are loved by so many; we pray that you will have a real sense of being ‘lifted and carried along’ by the prayers of God’s people for you both.
Much love, Aunt Gene and Uncle Keith